The strikes will mean that emergency cover across Britain will be provided by soldiers manning around 827 near-obselete Green Goddess fire engines.

Mr Gilchrist emerged from today's talks in central London to address around 100 colleagues waiting outside.

Speaking through a megaphone, he said the employers had told him they were linking any proposed deal with the recommendations of the independent review chaired by Sir George Bain.

The review suggested that firefighters should receive a pay rise of four per cent now and seven per cent next year - but only if firefighters agreed to accept big changes in working practices.

Mr Gilchrist told the firefighters that the employers offer was going to be "inextricably linked" to the Bain report.

The union's executive decided that they could not accept any offer which followed the Bain recommendations and decided that the strike would go agead.

There were huge cheers, loud applause, the blowing of whistles and sounding of horns from firefighters waiting outside the talks when they heard the news.

Mr Gilchrist accused the Government of intervening twice to prevent a settlement. He said: "The Government has successfully provoked a national firefighters strike."

He added: "I am extremely angry. We have no alternative other than to reject the insulting offer which has been made to some the finest public servants in the world."

Nick Raynsford, the Fire Services minister, said the strikes were "unnecessary" and will put lives at risk. He said: "I deeply regret the FBU's decision to take strike action. This will be unnecessary, unreasonable and completely unjustified.

"The union have chosen to reject out of hand a substantial offer, which would have delivered an 11.3 per cent pay increase for their members and the sort of modernisation the fire service so badly needs."

He added that the emergency cover provided by the Army "will not replicate the existing service".

Downing Street said the Government was not prepared to ignore the Bain review.

The Prime Minister's official spokesman said: "If you look at the whole context, the framework of the discussions, around this dispute, we have bent over backwards to be as reasonable as we possibly can.

"We don't believe ignoring an independent review, refusing to engage with it discounting anything it comes up with, discounting a pay award that is well over inflation is the right way to carry on. I don't think the public think it is the right way to carry on."

The Government's civil contingencies committee - codenamed Cobra - will meet tomorrow to discuss the response to the firefighters' strike.

The committee brings together ministers, senior civil servants, chiefs of military and emergency services and outside experts to deal with emergencies.

David Davis, the shadow deputy prime minister, said: "The Government cannot hide from responsibility for this strike action. It has allowed unrealistic expectations of a large pay rise to fester for too long.

"A culture of industrial militancy has been allowed to creep into our public servicesm as shown by the growing number of disputes that will impact on us all.

He added: "The very least the Government can do now is to focus on public safety. At this time of heightened security fears, the public needs to be satisfied that everything that can be done is being done."

Edward Davey, the Liberal Democrat's local government spokesman, said: "These strikes are unnecessary and wrong. By walking away from negotiations the FBU leadership are failing firefighters and the public."